Beneath the Crimson Mistletoe

Chapter 6: Unspoken Bonds

The grand halls of the family estate were as cold as Scarlett remembered. The pristine marble floors, towering ceilings, and glittering chandeliers gave the place an air of luxury, but to Scarlett, it felt like a gilded cage. She had spent so much of her life here, and yet it was a home that had never truly felt like one.

As she stepped inside, holding Lila in her arms, her mother’s figure emerged from the sitting room. Margaret Hawthorne was as impeccably put together as ever, her grey hair swept into a neat chignon, her tailored suit crisply ironed. She looked every bit the matriarch of the Hawthorne family, composed and unyielding.

“Scarlett,” Margaret greeted, her tone clipped but polite. Her sharp blue eyes briefly flicked to Lila, softening for the barest moment before her expression hardened again.

“Mum,” Scarlett replied, her voice as neutral as she could manage.

There was a pause, the tension between them thick enough to cut with a knife. Finally, Sylvia’s gaze returned to Scarlett’s cheek, still faintly red from James’s slap.

“You should put ice on that,” Margaret said, her tone matter-of-fact.

Scarlett blinked, surprised by the remark. It wasn’t exactly motherly concern, but it was closer than she’d expected. “It’s fine,” she muttered, shifting Lila in her arms.

Margaret's lips pressed into a thin line, but she said nothing further. Instead, she turned and gestured towards the sitting room. “You may as well wait in here. I don't see Daniel behind you."

"He stayed behind to answer a phone call." Scarlett followed her mother into the room, her eyes darting around at the familiar furniture and decor. Everything was just as she remembered—stiff, pristine, and utterly devoid of warmth.

“Scarlett,” Daniel’s voice called out from the doorway a few moments later. He strode in, his expression a mixture of relief and concern. “I’m glad you came.”

“Did I have a choice?” Scarlett muttered, but there was no malice in her tone. She was too tired for a fight.

Daniel chuckled softly, his brown eyes kind. He looked so much like their father, Scarlett thought. That resemblance had always made

it easier for her to get along with him.

As the siblings exchanged a few words, Margaret stood to the side, watching them with an unreadable expression. When Daniel moved closer to her, his voice lowered.

“Mum, maybe try being a bit warmer with her. She’s been through a lot,” he said quietly, his voice firm but not unkind.

Margaret’s eyes flickered with something like guilt, but her expression didn’t change. “She left, Daniel,” she replied just as quietly. “She abandoned this family and everything that came with it. That wasn’t easy for any of us.”

“And you are pushing her away all these years hasn’t helped,” Daniel countered. “You care about her, Mum. I know you do. Maybe it’s time you showed it.”

Margaret didn’t respond, but her lips tightened, and her gaze drifted back to Scarlett, who was now settling Lila onto one of the plush sofas.

As the minutes passed, Scarlett couldn’t help but notice her mother’s occasional glances at Lila. There was something softer in her usually stern eyes, something almost vulnerable.

“Your daughter is very… spirited,” Margaret said at last, her voice awkward but sincere.

Scarlett raised an eyebrow, unsure whether to take the comment as a compliment or a critique. “She is,” she replied cautiously.

Sylvia hesitated, then reached for a photo album that had been sitting on a nearby shelf. Scarlett recognised it instantly—it was one of the family albums she hadn’t seen in years.

Without a word, Margaret took it over and sat beside Lila. The little girl looked up at her grandmother with wide, curious eyes.

“Would you like to see some pictures?” Margaret asked gently.

Lila nodded eagerly, her earlier shyness forgotten as the album opened, flipping through pages of old photographs. There were pictures of Daniel and Scarlett as children, their faces beaming with carefree smiles. There were holiday photos, family gatherings, and candid moments Scarlett had all but forgotten.

“That’s your mummy,” Margaret said, pointing to a picture of a young Scarlett in a frilly pink dress.

Lila giggled. “Mummy looks funny!”

Scarlett, watching from across the room, felt a strange pang in her chest. It was surreal to see her mother interacting so naturally with Lila, especially when their relationship had always been so strained.

As Margaret continued to show Lila the photos, Scarlett couldn’t help but wonder why her mother was the way she was. She had always been cold, distant, and impossibly strict, but there were moments—like this—that hinted at a deeper layer.

Daniel once told her that Margaret hadn’t always been this way. Before their father became consumed with building the family’s wealth and status, their mother had been warmer and more loving. But the pressures of maintaining their social standing have taken a toll.

Margaret had hardened herself to survive, and in the process, she had distanced herself from her children.

“She doesn’t know how to show love anymore,” Daniel had said once, his voice heavy with resignation. “But she does care, Scarlett. In her way, she cares.”

Scarlett wasn’t sure if she believed that, but seeing her mother with Lila now, she could almost imagine it was true.

As they waited for the lawyer’s arrival, Margaret excused herself to take a phone call. Scarlett, ever the sceptic, couldn’t help but notice the way her mother’s demeanour shifted. Her posture stiffened, and her voice lowered to a near whisper.

“No, we’ll have to handle it differently,” Margaret said, pacing near the large bay window. “Yes, I’m aware of the risks, but there’s no other option.”

Scarlett’s curiosity got the better of her. She moved closer, straining to hear more. But before she could catch anything else, Margaret abruptly ended the call, her sharp gaze snapping at Scarlett.

“Is there something you need?” Margaret asked, her tone icy.

Scarlett froze, feeling like a child caught sneaking biscuits from the kitchen. “No, I was just…” She trailed off, knowing any excuse she gave would sound hollow.

Margaret's eyes narrowed slightly, but she said nothing more. She simply walked past Scarlett and returned to the sitting room, where Lila was still flipping through the photo album.

By the time the lawyer arrived, the atmosphere on the estate had grown even more strained. Scarlett couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off, and her mother's suspicious phone call only added to her unease.

As the family gathered in the study, Scarlett glanced at her mother, who was now seated primly in an armchair. Her expression was unreadable, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes as she looked at Lila, who was perched on Scarlett’s lap.

For a brief moment, their gazes met, and Scarlett thought she saw a glimmer of something vulnerable, something almost apologetic.

But then it was gone, replaced by the same stoic mask Margaret always wore.

Scarlett sighed, tightening her hold on Lila. Whatever the will revealed, she knew one thing for certain: the past wasn’t done with her yet.